Abstract [en]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the extent of headmasters’ participation in the systematic health promoting work carried out by the student health service.

Method: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey was used to collect the data. The data collection was preformed using a self-designed web survey, through email addresses to collect data from 200 randomly selected headmasters of primary schools from all over Sweden. Of the 200 selected headmasters, 28% (n = 53) attended, and answered the questionnaire.

Result: 88 % of the headmasters reported that the student health service conducted a systematic health promoting work. The majority of the headmasters (n=52) reported that the student health service conducts all of the different stages of the systematic work. The response rate was equal regarding headmaster’s participation, often and every time in the different stages; analyze, planning and follow up. The stage implementation showed a divergence from the other stages when 31 % of the headmasters reported that they rarely participate in this stage. The main profession who initiated health promotion work according to the headmasters was student health teams in the schools, consisting school health nurses, headmasters, teachers, pupils and psychologist. 51 % of the headmasters declared that it was on their initiative that the student health service started the health promotion work. Only four headmaster’s named that the student health service conducted health promotion work in the schools. 80 % of the headmasters felt that their participation was important for the student health service to manage a systematic health promoting work in primary school’s settings.

Conclusions: The headmaster’s initiates, conducts and participates in the systematic health promotion work and with the student health service in the primary schools. Student health teams are placed locally at the schools and were the ones who initiated health promotion work. The student health service was very rarely the ones who initiated health promotion work in schools. This may question if the health promoting work witch is conducted in schools are overall or meets the students' health needs.